Sex research and the construction of sexuality: A tool of male supremacy?

Jackson, Margaret

doi:10.1016/0277-5395(84)90083-9

Cited by 159 publications

(69 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Western cultures are characterized by two connected social discourses vital for understanding the meanings and practices around orgasm: a coital and an orgasm imperative. The coital imperative constructs penis-in-vagina penetration (coitus; Myerson, Crawley, Anstey, Kessler & Okopny, 2007) as 'real' sex, the quintessential form of (hetero)sex, with male ejaculation inside the vagina marking the end of 'sex' (Jackson, 1984;McPhillips, Braun, & Gavey, 2001). Coitus tends to override other sexual practices, when people are asked what constitutes 'sex' (Sanders & Reinisch, 1999), although there is much variation in individual understandings of what counts as 'sex' (e.g., McCabe, Tanner & Heiman, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“It Feels So Good It Almost Hurts”: Young Adults' Experiences of Orgasm and Sexual Pleasure

Opperman

Braun

Clarke

et al. 2013

The Journal of Sex Research

148

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Opperman, E., Braun, V., Clarke, V. and Rogers, C. (2014) Disclaimer UWE has obtained warranties from all depositors as to their title in the material deposited and as to their right to deposit such material. UWE makes no representation or warranties of commercial utility, title, or fitness for a particular purpose or any other warranty, express or implied in respect of any material deposited.UWE makes no representation that the use of the materials will not infringe any patent, copyright, trademark or other property or proprietary rights.UWE accepts no liability for any infringement of intellectual property rights in any material deposited but will remove such material from public view pending investigation in the event of an allegation of any such infringement. Abstract: Orgasm is a 'goal' of much sexual activity, a source of potentially intense pleasure and fulfillment, yet can be fraught with difficulty or distress. Relatively little social science research has explored people's experiences around, and their meanings related to, orgasm, and indeed other sexual pleasures, especially with young adults. This study aimed to provide a rich exploration of the meanings associated with orgasm and sexual pleasure during sex with a partner, to understand the socialpatterning of orgasm experience. A qualitative survey was used to collect data from 119 sexuallyexperienced British young adults (81% women, mean age 20; 92% heterosexual). A descriptive form of thematic analysis that prioritizes participants' meanings and experiences was used to identify and explore patterns in the data. Five main themes reported here are: 1) orgasm: the purpose and end of sex; 2) 'it's more about my partner's orgasm'; 3) orgasm: the ultimate pleasure?; 4) orgasm is not a simple physiological response; and 5) faking orgasm is not uncommon. These (mostly not gendered) themes demonstrate complex and contradictory meanings around orgasm, but also show meaning to be dependent on situation and context. However, they do resonate strongly with widespread discourses of sexuality which prioritize heterosexual coitus, orgasm, and orgasm-reciprocity.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“It Feels So Good It Almost Hurts”: Young Adults' Experiences of Orgasm and Sexual Pleasure

Opperman

Braun

Clarke

et al. 2013

The Journal of Sex Research

148

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…In this it corresponds to the extensive feminist discussion of normative heterosexuality (M Jackson, 1984;S Jackson, 2006;Rubin, 1984;Seidman, 2005;Smart, 1996).…”

Section: Concluding Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…Moreover, sexual hierarchies regulate sexual practice: there is 'one best way to do it, and […] everyone should do it that way' (Rubin, 1984:283) and marital, reproductive sex acts are at the top of the hierarchy. Although alternative discourse do exist the 'coital imperative' is strong and dismisses sexual practices such as kissing, touching, oral and anal sex (and all other non-heterosexual practices) as preliminary, optional extras, or second-best substitutes for penile-vaginal intercourse (Gavey, McPhillips & Braun, 1999;Jackson, 1984;McPhillips, Braun & Gavey, 2001). In this way, the coital imperative limits understandings of sexual practice in a manner that may stabilize certain sexual desires and behaviours (Gavey, McPhillips & Braun, 1999;Karkazis, 2008).…”

Section: Genital Surgeries and Normative Heterosexuality: Feminist Pementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Within this explanatory system of common sense the decision to have surgery is presented as more or less uncontroversial, and there seems to be little space for discussing options. Jackson, 1984). Here the women draw on a set of socio-cultural norms and beliefs in the light of which treatment is presented as the obvious choice -not only because it can make your body more like everyone else's but also, and indeed chiefly, because it enables long-term relationships with male partners, i.e.…”

Section: Jmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Creating, maintaining and questioning (hetero)relational normality in narratives about vaginal reconstruction

Guntram

2013

Feminist Theory

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Analysing ten interviews with women diagnosed with and treated for congenital absence of the vagina, this article theorises the notion of ideal (hetero) relational normality. It explores how women in my case study negotiate, relate to and challenge this notion and examines the normative and bodily work for which it calls. The article specifically underscores the corporeal dimension of (hetero) relational normality. I argue that this notion of normality shapes the bodies of the women through medical interventions, while concurrently being reinforced through the corporeal shapings that the women undergo. These corporeal shapings consolidate enacted norms concerning heterosexuality and form understandings of female and male bodies. The analysis also reveals how these women nevertheless find ways to re-negotiate and question the notion of ideal (hetero) relational normality and its intertwinement with medical practice. The article contributes both to the critical examination of genital surgery and to feminist discussions of how to critically examine heterosexuality without rejecting it. Furthermore, it provides a deeper understanding of how medical interventions designed to create a vagina, or dilate a vagina considered too small, are made meaningful by the women affected

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“…Law and the judicial system represent one of the structures of symbolic power that gives meaning(s) to what is "the masculine" and to what is "the feminine". In this process, it produces hierarchical knowledge that establishes the masculine as the universal subject and the feminine as "otherness" (Beauvoir, 1949;Jackson, 1984). Those categories are constructed from scientific discourses and other social practices that are frequently conflicting.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“They never talk about a victim’s feelings: according to criminal law, feelings are not facts”—Portuguese judicial narratives about sex crimes

Ventura

2016

Palgrave Commun

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Sexual violence is a central dimension of what is generally called violence against women. Historically, the law has been one of the structures that has reinforced gender inequality and legitimized male seizure of women's sexuality within and outside marriage: legally, married women had no right to sexual freedom regarding their husbands and, at the same time, non-wed women who pressed charges against white men were accused of lying and faced victim-blaming judicial practices. Since the beginning of the 1990s, Portuguese rape legislation has changed in order to recognize that sex crimes offend someone's right to sexual self-determination. The Criminal Code has abandoned expressions like modesty and decency when referring to sex crimes, and a controversial mitigating penalty norm based on a victim's provocative behaviour or on the relation between the accused and the plaintiff was repealed in 1995. In addition, criminal law has evolved to a gender-neutral formulation and expanded the definition of rape adopting the "all penetration" formula. Nevertheless, the discourses of Portuguese jurisprudence and doctrine reveal stereotyped images about rape victims' behaviour and biased evaluations against women. Therefore, the 'law in books' must be analysed in its relation with 'law in action', which is unescapably influenced by doctrine and by magistrates' individual beliefs. This paper aims to capture judicial representations of rape, rape victims and offenders. Qualitative data are used based on 20 semi-structured interviews with 18 judges and prosecutors and two attorneys. The interviews were analysed through critical discourse analysis using a feminist approach. This article is published as part of a collection on gender studies.

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Sex research and the construction of sexuality: A tool of male supremacy?

Cited by 159 publications

References 7 publications

“It Feels So Good It Almost Hurts”: Young Adults' Experiences of Orgasm and Sexual Pleasure

“It Feels So Good It Almost Hurts”: Young Adults' Experiences of Orgasm and Sexual Pleasure

Creating, maintaining and questioning (hetero)relational normality in narratives about vaginal reconstruction

“They never talk about a victim’s feelings: according to criminal law, feelings are not facts”—Portuguese judicial narratives about sex crimes

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